


Day 658

by millennium_wagtail



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:35:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27049552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/millennium_wagtail/pseuds/millennium_wagtail
Summary: 658 days.That’s how long it had been since the events that took place at Bly Manor. Dani kept a careful count of the days that she had, making sure to be thankful for each one, each day that she got to live the life that she had always dreamed of.OR.. It's Dani's birthday, and everything is lovely because they deserve it.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 23
Kudos: 196





	1. The Morning

658 days. 

That’s how long it had been since the events that took place at Bly Manor. Since she said those words.  
Dani kept a careful count of the days that she lived, making sure to be thankful for each one. 658 days that she got to live the life that she had always dreamed of, with the woman she loved.

Day 658 started much like most other days had started, with Jamie wrapped safely in Dani’s arms. If a day didn’t start like that, it was because Dani was wrapped in Jamie’s arms. It was just how they always seemed to wake, how they were always comfortable.

Day 658 also happened to be Dani’s birthday. So, Dani enjoyed her first birthday present, and she admired Jamie’s sleeping face, as she had done so many times before. She traced the gentle crease between her eyebrows with her thumb, making sure not to disturb her. She travelled the familiar path along her perfect nose, until she reached her lips. Her sweet lips. Dani loved Jamie’s lips. She could spend her whole life kissing those lips. But even as her heart softened with love for the woman in her arms, she felt a looming sadness that she knew was unavoidable.

Just as those dark thoughts began appearing like shadows in her mind, she felt soft eyelashes brush against her arm. Jamie’s eyes flickered open, quickly looking up at Dani in the most criminally adorable way, and immediately those ominous shadows were dispersed by Jamie's radiance. Jamie pulled herself closer into Dani, and an adoring smile spread across those perfect lips.

“Happy birthday, Poppins”

Jamie gently cupped Dani’s face, caressing her cheek with her thumb. She pulled her into a kiss and Dani melted into her touch, losing herself in the intimacy.

Before Dani could get too lost, as she so often did, Jamie pulled away, a cheeky grin playing on her face.

“I’m gonna make you breakfast. Be down in 10 minutes, ok?”, Jamie made to get out of bed, but a tug at her pajama shirt pulled her back into Dani’s embrace.

“I thought I was the birthday girl, which means what I say goes”, Dani said, somewhat petulantly, as she hid her face in Jamie’s soft hair. It smelt so distinctly 'Jamie', Dani wished she could bottle it and keep it with her always.

“Oh yeah? And what is it you want baby?”. Jamie turned in Dani’s arms to look at her face. Dani was smiling one of her big goofy smiles. The ones that showed all her teeth, and made the edges of her mouth crease, and made her eyes light up. Jamie leaned in to press a small kiss into the corner of Dani’s grinning mouth on impulse.

Dani giggled, and then suddenly, she became more solemn, as she looked at Jamie and whispered,

“I want you, always.”


	2. The Late Morning

Dani watched Jamie move around the kitchen while she sat at the kitchen island. Her hands were wrapped around a mug of warm coffee. Jamie had made her a special blend of ‘birthday’ coffee, whatever that meant. Dani smiled into the mug and closed her eyes as she took a sip. When she opened them again, Jamie was staring at her, her eyebrows raised, and her mouth curved into a curious smile.

“So, what’d you think of the coffee, my American beaut?”

Dani knew that Jamie was teasing her, but honestly, she loved it. She let out a breathy laugh, the type that she let out when she was flustered. The kind that only Jamie ever really got to hear.

“It’s okay, I suppose”, she muttered, unable to meet Jamie’s eyes.

From under her eyelashes, she saw Jamie move in front of her and lean over the counter so that she was right in front of Dani. She felt a cool hand lift up her chin, so that she was completely facing her.

“You’re just jealous that a Brit can make coffee better than you”, Jamie whispered. She was so close to Dani that she could feel her warm breath on her lips as she spoke. Dani didn’t even bother trying to formulate a witty response to that jab at her beverage-making skills, not when Jamie was so close.

Dani leaned into her, and they shared coffee-flavoured kisses. Dani was vaguely aware of Jamie taking the mug from Dani’s hands and setting it safely on the countertop. Dani had spilled and broken enough mugs that Jamie was able to detect a potential mess from miles away.

With the mug gone, Dani’s arms were suddenly free to wrap around Jamie’s neck, pulling her close. The kisses were passionate, but soft and easy; like wearing your favourite sweater around the house on a day off. It was something they had grown accustomed to, but that could never be replaced.

A sputtering behind Jamie, along with a smell of burning, convinced them to pull away from each other. But before they could completely separate, Jamie leaned closer and placed a gentle peck on Dani’s nose.

“Love you, Poppins”, she whispered, her face still close and her eyes shut.

Dani smiled a small smile, and though her heart was beating hard with the love she had for the woman in front of her, her bruised ego had not yet forgotten the teasing from a few minutes before.

“Yeah? Well, I’m hungry”, she replied, doing her best to be curt. Jamie, who had often caught Dani staring at her when she thought she wasn't looking, and whose love she was frequently on the receiving end of, was obviously not fooled. But she played along.

“Coming right up, ma’am”, she said, and turned around to see what had become of their breakfast.

Dani picked up the mug of slightly cooler coffee and happily resumed her important task of watching Jamie move around their kitchen.

Later, after they had eaten their somewhat burned breakfast, Dani said, “Thanks for breakfast. So what are we doing today?”

“I’m not telling you. It’s a surprise”, Jamie said, sounding resolute, with a healthy dollop of mischievousness.

Dani knew that it would be impossible to get any more information out of her, so she settled for the oldest trick in her book. Her last resort for a getting a rise out of Jamie, her secret weapon.

“O issit a surprise? Nah I’m bloody exci’ed, ain’t I?”

Dani had discovered early on that, whenever she attempted to copy Jamie’s accent, she would become delightfully affected by it. So, obviously, Dani abused this power.

Dani had hardly managed to finish her flawless impression before Jamie was groaning and walking out of the room, failing to hide her beaming smile and blushing face.

“You’re lucky it’s your birthday, love. Now let’s get dressed. I’ve got a big day planned.”


	3. The Afternoon

Jamie was keeping her mouth shut. Despite Dani’s teasing attempts and not-so-subtle flirtations, Jamie was determined not to spoil the surprise. After they had gotten dressed, Jamie had ushered the birthday girl into their truck. The truck was painted a muted shamrock green, and on the door, framed in yellow was the name of their flower shop, ‘The Leafling’. As she shut the door behind Dani, the brunette smiled at the name. The thought that she had the business of her dreams, and that she shared it with the lovely woman sitting in the passenger seat, was enough to make her tear up with joy.

Jamie pushed down the immense joy before it overwhelmed her, and with it she pushed away the sudden nervousness she was feeling. Even though they had been together for nearly two years, the blonde still managed to make Jamie feel nervous and there was nearly nothing she would not do to try to impress her. Mustering up her courage, Jamie walked to the driver side (which, much to her annoyance, was on the left side of the car), opened the door and plopped into the drivers seat. After slamming the door behind her, she turned and grinned widely at her girlfriend. Dani was looking at her with a mix of amusement and pure, unconditional love, and it made Jamie want to dance with joy. But, for now, she simply turned the key and began driving to their destination.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Jamie began parking the truck, Dani instantly recognized where she had been brought. It was the public garden where Jamie volunteered. She helped plant and take care of a wide colourful array of flowers, all for strangers to enjoy. Dani knew that her girlfriend was not keen on people, but she had often come home after a long day and excitedly told Dani about the elderly couple that strolled down the path she had planted and stopped to admire the blindingly white chrysanthemum. Or how Jamie laughed as she told Dani about the little girl who chased butterflies around near the patch of lavender that Jamie had nurtured. Dani knew that Jamie preferred to be alone, but she also knew that Jamie was a good person with a beautiful heart that wanted to make the lives of others better; and she loved her for that.

Once Jamie shut off the car, she moved quickly to get out and do a funny little hop-skip to get to the passenger side. Jamie opened the door with a comical flourish, offering Dani her hand as she bowed deeply. The ex-au pair rolled her eyes, amused, but took her girlfriend’s hand. Jamie leaned down to give it a kiss, sneaking a cheeky glance up at the birthday girl, then straightened stiffly, keeping up her formal charade. Jamie helped Dani out of the car, and Dani, feeling a sudden need to be closer to her girlfriend, looped her arm around Jamie’s and gave her a big, beaming smile. After closing the passenger door and retrieving a wicker basket covered by a plaid blanket (“suspiciously picnic-like”, Dani noted), they set off down the path that would lead them through the garden.

Needless to say, they did not make a bee-line for their destination. In fact, they took many unnecessary turns, and doubled back on themselves and even stopped to admire a particularly resplendent bloom. All the while, their arms remained tightly linked, with Jamie’s other hand carrying the basket, and Dani’s clutching Jamie’s upper arm. They talked about everything, and nothing, about their past, and their future, about what Jamie was going to cook for dinner, and about the cake that they were going to bake together. There was only one topic that they avoided. They did not mention _her_. They did talk about _her_ , quite often. But normally those conversations ended with one or both of them crying, and today was not the day for that. It was Dani’s birthday!

So, they talked and walked, holding each other close, until the sounds of their stomachs rumbling grew so loud that they could hardly hear each other. Jamie led them to a part of the garden where Jamie had planted a few small trees. It was also near the administration office, where volunteers signed in and where told the tasks that had to be accomplished. As they approached, Jamie unlinked their arms, and slid her hand down her girlfriend’s arm until they were hand in hand. The brunette looked back, somewhat anxiously, thought Dani, and smiled one of her small nervous smiles. Dani was busy scanning her face, and then the gentle curls on her head as her girlfriend turned around, so she hardly noticed they had stopped in front of a colourful bench that faced the administration office wall.

Dani was still looking at Jamie, studying every familiar beauty mark, and every crease, trying to discern what was worrying Jamie. Now, Jamie was looking back at her, she seemed a little less anxious, and much more excited. Dani continued watching her as she placed the basket onto the bench and with her now free hand, she grabbed Dani’s other hand, so that the gardener was clutching both of her girlfriend’s hands.

Jamie gently caressed Dani’s hands with her thumbs, causing Dani to smile. Jamie looked up into the blonde’s eyes then, and with a confident but gentle certainty, said, “Happy Birthday, Dani. I love you. So much”.

Jamie turned her head to the wall they were facing then, prompting Dani to do the same. And when she did, she gasped, and clutched her girlfriend’s hands harder.

The office building’s outside wall was covered with small plant pots. They were hung onto a giant grid that covered the entire wall, and each pot was rigged with a system of pipes and tubes that Dani assumed would supply the plants with water. Planted in these pots were a large array of flowers. There were a few pale-yellow daffodils in the middle of the wall, surrounded by white roses in full bloom, and winding ivy made up the corners and edge. Dani was far enough away from the wall that she could make out the shape that all those flowers were making together: a giant moonflower, made up of smaller flowers, in full bloom in the middle of the day.

Dani was awestruck. Her mouth hung open stupidly, and her eyes began to prick with unshed tears. After a few seconds of simply admiring the art before her, she turned to look at Jamie.

“D’you like it?”, she practically whispered, as she tried not to fracture this fragile moment.

Dani gave a small nod, the tears in her eyes finally becoming too heavy and escaping down her cheeks. She pulled her girlfriend into a tight hug. Dani had no words in that moment, so she tried to convey all her feelings in the way she gently peppered Jamie’s neck with kisses and in the way she clutched at her clothes, desperate to keep her close.

“This took a lot of effort, y’know.”, Jamie said into Dani’s ear. This caused Dani to pull away a bit, but Jamie’s arms remained wrapped around her waist.

“I had to pay for the set-up and rigging. I had to buy and plant the flowers. I had to water them every day for weeks…”, she began listing.

Dani made to interrupt her, to say something about how she shouldn’t have, or to say that it was too much, but Jamie gave her a look that stopped her in her tracks.

“I would have done it all another twenty times. Because I was making it for you.”, she said, sincerity sparkling in her eyes.

Dani could not have been happier in that moment. The woman in her arms right now, the woman she knew was the love of her life, declared to her that Dani was one of the few people in the world that she considered to be a moonflower. The emotions swirling inside her began bubbling out in a strange mixture of tears and laughter, so Dani pushed her face into her girlfriend’s neck and stayed there until the intense emotions evaporated. Suffice to say, they stood there for a long while.

They ate the picnic that Jamie had prepared the night before on the bench facing the office wall. They didn’t talk much now, but it wasn’t uncomfortable or awkward. It was an easy silence that, despite the peace, crackled with the love that the two women had for one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyy I finally updated! Lemme know what you think :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I know nothing about gardening/flowers, so sorry for any obvious gardening no-no's


End file.
